STAYING THE COURSE
We asked these clean and sober individuals, who recently celebrated sobriety milestones, what it felt like to mark another year in recovery and what they did over the past year to stay on the path
BY PAULO MURILLO
ACTIVELY ASSESS
“Reaching five years sober on July 8th brought a significant shift. I began to actively assess my interactions, noticing how people’s presence affected me. The fourth year of sobriety was marked by a strong desire for control, which surprisingly led to the most fear I’d experienced in recovery. My sponsor helped me realize this fear was blocking a higher power’s will, leading to a dip in service work and meeting attendance.
I recommitted to prayer and meditation, and though difficult at first, these practices became natural. Soon, my business improved, I felt happier, and some friendships no longer aligned with my newfound peace. I realized my higher power had always been there, but fear had obscured the blessings. I celebrated this milestone by bringing cakes to meetings, and my sponsor hosted a beautiful dinner with close friends… I’m profoundly grateful for the support of my community and will continue to embrace this path.”
—Curtisblue Nuñez, sober since July 18, 2020.
STAYING CONNECTED
“I know that time is not a tool to keep me sober, so I try to keep it in perspective. All we have is today. I think the thing that I learned from year seven to eight, because I just turned eight years sober, was about giving back to others. I have three sponsees now, and I never had sponsees before. My sponsor said I had to get some, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. It’s what helped me fully understand what the program of recovery is all about. This past year, I went to meetings. I got a commitment. I was a treasurer for a meeting at the Log Cabin and it was about helping others and being of service. At one year sober, I knew that I could do this. Any doubts I had that I could do this went away. I saw that it was possible to put days together, as long as I didn’t pick up today no matter what, and I kept working the steps and going to meetings and staying connected. I got to live in this protective bubble where I learned what we call the daily reprieve. And you know what, I’ve never looked back.”
—Sean Carnage, sober since July 20, 2017.
COMPLETE GIFT
“This past year has been reflective. I had given up hope of coming back to the rooms, but my last 24 hours of using is so prominent in my head that it’s something I don’t ever want to go back to. I’ve been reflecting on my past and how now is a complete gift, and it just makes me more grateful for my sobriety, because when I use, I burn the city down, I kill myself slowly and I’m in so much pain. I didn’t realize how much self-hate I had during my using, and how unbearable the pain seemed to me. But the reality is God has a plan for me. I just needed to get out of my way and just allow God to do his work. I stayed sober this past year by attending meetings, learning to be with myself and being okay with that, not wanting to jump out of my own skin and understanding and coping because feelings aren’t facts and they do pass.”
—Tavarious Webster, sober since July 11, 2023.
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